Poultry Tariffs EU 2026: What Changes for Food Importers and Manufacturers

Key data

Importers of poultry meat, eggs and ovalbumin in the European Union face a possible change in their tariff costs following the publication of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/525, in force since 11 March 2026. This regulation amends Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2834 and updates the representative reference prices that determine when additional import duties apply.

This is not a minor administrative change. Each time the European Commission adjusts these reference values, the actual cost of bringing product from third countries may rise or fall depending on how the entry price compares to the new threshold. For companies with significant import volumes, the difference can be relevant to the bottom line.

What does this regulation establish?

The representative prices system functions as a protection mechanism for the European internal market. The logic is as follows: if a product enters the EU at a price lower than the set representative price, additional import duties are activated that increase the cost for the importer.

Regulation 2026/525 updates those reference values for three product categories:

• Poultry meat: fresh, chilled or frozen products from third countries.
• Eggs: both in shell and in other presentations subject to tariff regulation.
• Ovalbumin: protein derived from eggs widely used as a functional ingredient in the food industry.

The regulation it amends, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2834, was until now the current reference for these prices. The new regulation updates it to reflect current international market conditions, without the published data specifying the exact numerical values of the new representative prices.

Economic and operational impact

The direct impact of this regulation occurs at two levels:

For direct importers: If the new representative prices are higher than the previous ones, the threshold from which additional duties are activated also rises. This means that more transactions could fall below the threshold and therefore be subject to additional tariffs. If they fall, the opposite occurs.

For the food industry using ovalbumin: Companies that purchase ovalbumin as raw material to produce food products (from industrial bakery products to processed meat products or egg substitutes) may see their procurement costs altered if their suppliers import this ingredient from outside the EU.

The adjustment responds to changes in the international market, suggesting that reference prices have moved compared to those set in 2023. Companies with fixed-price supply contracts must verify whether those contracts absorb or pass on tariff variations.

Who does it affect?

• Importers of poultry meat from third countries outside the EU.
• Importers of eggs in any presentation subject to European tariff regulation.
• Importers and distributors of ovalbumin that supply the food industry.
• Poultry producers who compete with imported product and whose competitive position may be affected by the level of tariff protection.
• Food industry that uses ovalbumin as a functional ingredient: manufacturers of bakery products, pastry, processed meat products, egg substitutes and protein products.
• Purchasing departments and CFOs of companies with supply chains that include poultry raw materials of non-EU origin.

Practical example

A Spanish industrial bakery products manufacturer uses imported ovalbumin from a supplier that brings it from outside the EU. Until now, that supplier calculated its entry prices taking as reference the representative prices of Regulation 2023/2834.

With the entry into force of Regulation 2026/525 on 11 March 2026, representative prices have been adjusted to current international market conditions. If the new representative price is higher than the previous one, the threshold for activating additional duties rises: the supplier needs to enter at a higher price to avoid the extra tariff, which may translate into an increase in the ingredient cost for the Spanish manufacturer.

Conversely, if the representative price falls, the activation threshold also falls and more transactions will be free of additional tariffs, potentially reducing the cost of procurement.

The key for this manufacturer is to request from its supplier the updated tariff calculation with the new reference values and verify whether current contracts reflect this variation or not.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify whether you import directly poultry meat, eggs or ovalbumin from countries outside the EU. If so, the regulation affects you directly and immediately.
2. Request from your customs agent or freight forwarder the recalculation of applicable import duties with the new representative prices of Regulation 2026/525, in force since 11 March 2026.
3. Review current supply contracts to verify whether price clauses absorb or pass on tariff variations. In the case of fixed-price contracts, evaluate the impact on margin.
4. Update cost structures of products that use ovalbumin or other imported poultry raw materials, especially if there are budgets or financial forecasts in progress.
5. Consult the full text of Regulation 2026/525 in EUR-Lex to obtain the exact numerical values of the new representative prices and verify the affected product codes.